RV structural integrity

[Captain Avgas]

Originally Posted by casper

Bob: I hope you don't talk your self out of finishing and flying you RV. You will miss out on one of lifes true pleasures.

Dear Doyle, the only real intention of my postings on this matter is to encourage all builders to take the time, and expend the effort, to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to build a fine aircraft to the best of their abilities.....and to discourage them from rushing their projects and cutting corners. That's the agenda.

Because beyond the personal satisfaction of a job well done, we all have a responsibility to our families, to future passengers, and to the Experimental category at large to produce a well constructed and safe aircraft.

[6.6flylow]

Aren't parachutes worn during aerobatics in case of emergency?

[szicree]

Yes, but the chance of getting the opportunity to use it is pretty close to nil.

[n5lp]

Originally Posted by 6.6flylow

Aren't parachutes worn during aerobatics in case of emergency?

They may be, but in the US they are not required for aerobatics. This is one of those wonderful, mysterious areas of the FARs.

By the definition of aerobatics (section 91.303) for the purposes here, almost any RV flight involves aerobatics for much of the time we are not in cruise flight. You may fly aerobatics without exceeding a 20 degree angle of bank. Aerobatics are "an intentional maneuver involving an abrupt change in an aircraft's attitude, an abnormal attitude, or abnormal acceleration, NOT NECESSARY FOR NORMAL FLIGHT." That pretty much defines most of my RV flying and I'm glad no parachutes are required.

Parachute requirements are a separate deal and are in section 91.307. It is real simple. If more than one person is on aboard and you exceed a bank angle of 60 degrees or a pitch angle of 30 degrees, parachutes are required. There are exceptions, as there need to be, because very normal training maneuvers exceed those limits.

I have long thought it pretty much impossible to make a completely legal flight. The FARs are very broad and very vague and you can be violated if someone in the FAA wants to do that. It is very possible to make a very illegal and very safe flight. The parachute requirements are one of the most widely ignored FARs. I don't condone that, but I don't believe it necessarily has any impact on safety, particularly in aircraft in which it has not been demonstrated that inflight egress is even possible.

Full disclosure requires me to mention that I am retired from the FAA.

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by n5lp

Full disclosure requires me to mention that I am retired from the FAA.

Is that requirement another one of those obscure little known FAR's?

[n5lp]

Originally Posted by rvbuilder2002

Is that requirement another one of those obscure little known FAR's?

Uh, I dunno Scott. I may have signed some stuff when I left though.

By the way I was just thinking about this stuff some more. One of my favorite maneuvers is a wingover. I might go to 120 degrees of bank or so and about 20 or 30 degrees of pitch. That would mean I would legally need a parachute if I had a passenger. The maximum G loading will be, maybe, 1.3. Shoot, even a roll is about 1.5 G in the pullup and less in the actual roll. No airframe stress at all. On the other hand, just a normal flight instruction steep turn is 2 Gs.

Yeh, I know things can be messed up, but regulations don't really help that.